SCMP article on Hong Kong design copy cheats

Applying for trademarks and copyrights is a cumbersome and lengthy process, according to designers. However, those in the intellectual property industry contradict that belief and stress that it’s better to be safe than sorry, as any future litigation can be extremely costly.

“More often than not, [designers] are too focused on the business development side and never think this is that important,” Helen Tang, director of ​Simone Intellectual Property ServicesAsia, said. “In the end, when they get into trouble it’s a lot more costly and it’s also valuable time being diverted from time that they should be spending on the business side.”

Tang said it took six to eight months to have a trademark registered in Hong Kong and costs a few thousand dollars. On mainland China, registration can take 12 to 18 months.